A UNIVERSE OF INSPIRATION

DISCOVER THE ROYAL MANSOUR BEHIND MAGNIFICIENT DOORS

A MASTERPIECE OF MOORISH-ANDALUSIAN ARCHITECTURE

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THE MEDINA AND ITS GROUNDS

PRIVATE GARDENS: A MOROCCAN TRADITION

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ROYAL MANSOUR’S RIADS: PRIVACY AND REFINEMENT

THE ART OF SERVICE

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THE SPA

A 2 500 SQ/M SPACE ON THREE LEVELS, DEVOTED TO RELAXATION AND WELLBEING

TAILOR MADE TREATMENTS MARIYING TRADITION WITH INNOVATION

THE HAMMAM: INDULGENCE AND REINVIGORATION

SPA SUITES: TREATMENTS AND RELAXATION IN PERFECT PRIVACY

LA TABLE DU SPA; LIGHT DELIGHT

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THE RESTAURANTS

LA GRANDE TABLE MAROCAINE; TRADITION MEETS GASTRONOMY

LA GRANDE TABLE FRANÇAISE; JUST ADD SUNSHINE

LA TABLE; SIMPLE PLEASURES

LE JARDIN; CELEBRATING THE GREAT CUISINES OF THE WORLD

DINING IN YOUR RIAD

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TIME TO RELAX

THE BAR

THE FIREPLACE LOUNGE

THE CIGAR LOUNGE

THE LIBRARY

A universe of inspiration

Discover the Royal Mansour Marrakech

Behind magnificient doors

A universe of inspiration Discover the Royal Mansour Behind magnificient doors The Royal Mansour is the result of pure inspiration: a dream made real, and a spectacular recreation of a beautiful way of life. The very soul of Morocco is reflected in the fulfilment of this vision, one that is faithful to architectural tradition, and honours both heritage crafts and contemporary artistic talent. Yet its most memorable aspect is its sense of welcome – that’s where the real magic happens. Guests come away surprised and happy, charged with all the emotions of an exceptional experience. Is this a palace? Is it an ancient medi-na? Walking down winding passageways, wandering among leafy courtyards, and tarrying in the gardens, you’ll find peace and pleasure. Welcome to Royal Mansour’s five-hectare estate, a haven of luxury and privacy in the heart of Marrakech. Chiselled bronze, cedarwood, intricately carved horseshoe arches… This mighty portal can rival the grandest of the imperial cities. Yet, at the Royal Mansour, there are no copies. Everything you see represents the original creativity of a living tradition

Is this a palace? Is it an ancient medina? Walking down winding passageways, wandering among leafy courtyards, and tarrying in the gardens, you’ll find peace and pleasure. Welcome to Royal Mansour’s three and a half hectare estate, a haven of luxury and privacy in the heart of Marrakech.

Chiselled bronze, cedarwood, intricately carved horseshoe arches… This mighty portal can rival the grandest of the imperial cities. Yet, at the Royal Mansour Marrakech, there are no copies. Everything you see represents the original creativity of a living tradition.

A masterpiece of Moorish-Andalusian architecture

The layout of the main building stays true to the style and symmetry of classical Moorish architecture, the exterior retaining a certain sobriety, while the interior pays homage to the virtuosity of Morocco’s artisan craftsmen. Distinctive geometric zellige tiles cover walls and pillars. Sleek tadlakt plaster gleams in contrast with intricate plasterwork. Wrought iron lamps compete for finesse with the carved wood of the doors.The ingenuity of Moroccan design offers infinite combinations of colour and finish among the hallways and salons, each space given its own unique feel. The silvery floral motifs adorning the glowing glass bar contrast with gold-on-white foliage patterns on the ceiling; the wood panelling in the library displays the exquisite art of marquetry inlay.The Royal Mansour’s role as a patron of traditional Moroccan arts and crafts is a vital aspect of its unique status among luxury hotels; with its 550-strong collection of paintings, the hotel also champions contemporary Moroccan artists.

The medina and its grounds

Private gardens A MOROCCAN TRADITION

Rather than corridors, the Royal Mansour’s 53 riads are connected by pathways within a private medina, where shrubs and flowers border the alleyways, and gardens bloom in inner courtyards. The landscape architect, Luis Vallejo, wanted to create a sophisticated tribute to the art of living, Moroccan-style. Lined with hundred-year-old olive-trees, Rue Abou Abbas El Sebti, gives access to the Spa framed by orange trees. The driveway now begins at the reopened Bab el Makhzen, bordering the new grounds and ending up in the courtyard of pomegranate trees in front of the hotel and restaurants, and to the olive-tree courtyard next to the Grand Riad. Vallejo’s charmed orchard is in keeping with Marrakech as an agricultural community, but remains entirely dedicated to pleasure.

Through the year, the garden is perfumed first by orange-flower, then honeysuckle, jasmine,roses and, in autumn, the subtle scent of oleasters, while daturas, bougainvillaea and carnations bring colour. In a land of sunshine, there must be shade, so palm trees sway gently overhead, tracing their infinite patterns on the ground. There’s not a sound to disturb guests’ reveries, only the music of falling water, which plays such a vital role in any Moroccan garden. Water trickles, flows, cascades, leaps from fountains… Apart from this, all you will hear is birdsong.

Royal Mansour’s riads

The art of service

Privacy and refinement

Guests’ riads are their own private domain, each accessed directly from one of the medina’s many walkways. On the day of arrival, a butler will accompany you to your door – an austere portal with a magical world behind it. Across the hallway is an interior courtyard and, off that, a sitting room, bar and, in bigger riads, dining room. On the first floor, the bedrooms and bathrooms open onto a gallery looking down into the courtyard. Then there’s your private roof terrace, with plunge pool, fireplace, and a tented space for private hammam treatments.

Each of the 53 riads has been individually furnished by craftsmen from Marrakech, Essaouira, Fès and Meknès, with wood panelling, zellige tiling, tadlakt and plasterwork demonstrating the infinite variety of Moroccan decorative arts. Every riad is different, owing to the selection of furniture and the way it is arranged, the choice of fabrics and colours, and the lighting design. Incorporated into these traditional interiors is cutting-edge tech designed to ensure guests’ comfort, such as a touchscreen-controlled retractable glass roof poised to cover the courtyard terrace at the 6 first drop of rain, or the smart air-con system, its workings invisible to the eye behind filigree plasterwork.

Guests tend to feel an instant connection with their private riad, spending a lot of time “at home” during their stay. The butler’s role is to act as a kind of guardian angel for his charges, with back-up from a superb backstage team, who in turn rely on an ingenious system of underground tunnels. These allow staff to access the riads swiftly and discreetly, invisibly ensuring guests’ comfort, and taking great care to respect their privacy. Thus the art of service at the Royal Mansour Marrakech reaches a degree of refinement that goes above and beyond the traditional hotelier’s rule-book.

The Spa Royal Mansour

Bathing rituals are at the heart of traditional Moroccan culture; the physical wellbeing they bring to the body lightens soul and spirit. The Spa Royal Mansour is entered via an impressive atrium of whitewashed wrought iron, which evokes a giant birdcage. Its height and luminosity, with natural light pouring in from all angles, is striking yet calming.

A 2,500sq/m space on three levels, devoted to relaxation and wellbeing

Massage, facial treatments, hydrotherapy and body wraps take place on the first floor, where the private Spa suites are located. The two hammams and relaxation area are on the ground floor, as well as a Watsu pool, and La Table du Spa serving light, healthy dishes, herbal teas and fruit juices. The hair salon and mani/pedi space occupy five private ca-bins.Japanese-designed chairs upholstered in white leather offer Spa guests the ultimate comfort. The swimming pool, with its orangery-style glass roof, opens onto the gardens. Hidden beneath ground level is a handsome space dedicated to sports and fitness, with a coach on hand, and state of-the-art equipment, plus a sauna. There’s also a Spa boutique selling products and accessories.

Tailor made treatments

Every Spa treatment starts off with a personalised consultation with specialist staff in one of the private alcoves off the Spa atrium. Guests follow Tailor Made programmes adapted to their particular needs and fitness level, as well as advice on diet, exercise and lifestyle.The Royal Mansour’s expert Spa team have selected the very finest products; the marocMaroc bodycare line, made in France using traditional Moroccan ingredients; for fa-cial treatments, Dr Hauschka or Sisley products, according to skin type; Léonor Greyl’s cult hair oil. All products are available to buy in the Spa boutique.

In the hammamINDULGENCE AND REINVIGORATION

One or two rays of light pierce the semi-darkness. On the hot marble tiles, submit to the expert hands of a hammam attendant who specialises in the gommage body-scrub technique using black soap and loofah. Only the gentle splashing of water breaks the silence. Later, body cream and a hair masque are applied. Finally, in a quiet alcove, behind a moucharabieh wooden screen, enveloped in the softest linens, you drift into profound repose.The Pedi-Mani-Cure by Bastien Gonzalez, podiatrist and “foot virtuoso”, is known the world over for combining medicine, aesthetics and wellbeing.All the while, the Hair and Beauty Salon stays at the forefront in haircare, using 100 per cent natural products by Leonor Greyl, which combines effectiveness with gentleness.

Three suites allow guests to book a private space for treatments and relaxation, alone or with their partners. Royal Mansour chefs have devised light, healthy menus, to be enjoyed on the suites’ private terraces, overlooking the ramparts of Marrakech.

Spa suites TREATMENTS AND RELAXATION IN PERFECT PRIVACY

“At the Royal Mansour, every guest will find a cuisine to match his or her tastes: gastronomic, French, Moroccan, contemporary…” So says Yannick Alléno, the much-garlanded Parisian chef, who believes that variety is key to a truly enjoyable dining experience. This simple idea colours his approach to the four Tables at Royal Mansour Marrakech, where his combination of tradition and creativityachieves elevated results.

THE RESTAURANTS

LA GRANDE TABLE MAROCAINE FUSION ENTRE TRADITION ET GASTRONOMIE

Dès le début, le Chef a lancé un défi à ses équipes : faire de la Grande Table marocaine la garante de l’image culinaire du pays; installer ses plats parmi les grandes références gastronomiques. En respectant les traditions, en explorant la richesse du terroir marocain et la qualité de ses produits, en y apportant un savoir-faire reconnu, les cuisines du Royal Mansour Marrakech l’imposent comme la meilleure référence gastronomique du pays. Quelques exemples en témoignent : les Sh’Hiwates, délices de salades, ouvrent le repas avec une fraîcheur ensoleillée. L’épaule d’agneau, un des chefs-d’oeuvre de la carte, est reconnue pour le fondant que lui apporte sa cuisson à basse température. La tangia* de daurade royale aux olives mauves allie des goûts subtils et vigoureux.

SESAMOA TASTE OF ITALY

In 2019, the year ended at Royal Mansour Marrakech with the opening of a new Italian restaurant Sesamo by the Alajmo brothers, Massimiliano and Raffaele, who have no less than 5 Michelin Stars through their 8 restaurants. Massimiliano made history by becoming the youngest Chef in the world to receive his third star, when he was only 28 years old.The Sesamo menu : respecting and spicing up local products offering a gourmet, hearty and familiar cuisine. Fieldwork is carried out with Domaines Agricoles and an Italian agronomist to locally produce the Italian cuisine essentials.By playing with colours and light, vintage and contemporary pieces and by bringing together the best experts in the field, the decoration offers a charming setting, incorporating Venice at its heart and all of Italy’s elegance, for a timeless experience.Sesamo gives the finishing touch to the Palace’s cuisine, providing a culinary experience that has no fewer than two three star chefs. A first for Morocco and a special case worldwide!

SIMPLE PLEASURES LA TABLE

All day, from breakfast to dinner time, La Table offers light meals and snacks based on exceptional products prepared with perfect simplicity. Order lobster with a simple butter sauce, share a whole free-range chicken with creamy mashed potato, or go for a classic club sandwich or a caviar club. Don’t miss the Pastry counter – as much of a treat for the eyes as for the palate. Guests can sit outdoors amid the heady scent of jasmine and gardenia, or in the shade beneath the loggia; the indoor dining room and private salons are also at your disposal.

CELEBRATING THE GREAT CUISINES OF THE WORLDLE JARDIN

Yannick Alléno Invents 60 New Recipes Celebrating the Great Cuisines of the WorldFascinated by cooking techniques old and new, the Chef was thus inspired to revisit the ancient diptych of the raw and the cooked. Guests are introduced to these influences via Chef Alléno’s brilliant ways of sourcing and preparing meats, handling shellfish, slow cooking garden vegetables, preparing sushi, sashimi and ceviche, and marrying sweet and savoury flavours.

Time to relax

The Royal Mansour is a place where guests are encouraged to take their time and relax. Life at the hotel can be quiet and peaceful, then fun and lively, in turn. According to mood and time of day, guests are free to alternate solitude and calm with moments of joyful conviviality. These welcoming spaces suit both inclinations, and each is equally striking in terms of decor.

Dining in your riad

You can also be served in your private riad, at any time of day. Whether it’s an intimate supper for two or a gathering of family and friends, the menus of all four Tables are on offer, or you can liaise with one of the chefs to create a bespoke menu.

The Bar

Floor-to-ceiling mirrors coated in rose-gold leaf with foliage designs picked out in white-gold create infinite reflections, and the silvered motifs adorning the bar glow with a soft, diffused light. Relax into one of the art deco tub chairs with golden upholstery.

The Chimney lounge

Carved inlaid geometric patterns in the wood panelling, and screens with great cut-out sunflowers frame a view onto the garden, as seen through the transparent fireplace; logs seem to crackle away beneath the palm-trees. Relax to the sounds of the piano in a deeply comfortable leather club chair.

The cigar bar

Amid exquisite sycamore panelling and mother-of-pearl tracery, a glass-topped marquetry cabinet displays the most beautiful cigars. Here, connoisseurs can gather over a cognac or an armagnac, to engage in casual chitchat or serious conversation.

The library

Lose yourself in Morocco’s great literature, discover the decorative arts, explore the secrets of Marrakech, or consider an as-yet-unvisited region. Tear yourself away from the marquetry shelves to listen to the sound of water tinkling up from courtyard beneath, or look out over the Marrakech skyline.

AWARDS 2014/2018

2014WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS - AFRICA’S LEADING LUXURY HOTEL VILLA

MOROCCO’S LEADING HOTEL VILLA

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2015WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS - AFRICA’S LEADING LUXURY HOTEL VILLA

MOROCCO’S LEADING HOTEL VILLA

WORLD BOUTIQUE HOTEL AWARDS – AFRICA’S BEST CULINARY HOTEL

WORLD LUXURY HOTEL AWARDS

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2016WORLD LUXURY AWARDS - BEST DAY SPA IN MOROCCO

WORLD LUXURY AWARDS - BEST MOROCCAN CUISINE IN AFRICA

PRESTIGIOUS STAR AWARDS - MOST PRESTIGIOUS GALA VENUE AND HIGHLY COMMENDED

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2017CONDE NAST TRAVELLER READERS’ TRAVEL AWARD – BEST HOTEL SPA IN THE WORLD

WORLD LUXURY RESTAURANT AWARD - CONTINENT WINNER AFRICA & LUXURY HOTEL RESTAURANT- LA TABLE

WORLD LUXURY RESTAURANT AWARD – MOROCCAN CUISINE CONTINENT WINNER AFRICA

WORLD LUXURY RESTAURANT AWARD - FINE DINING CUISINE REGIONAL WINNER MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA

LUXURY TRAVEL GUIDE – FRENCH RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

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2018FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE – 5 ÉTOILES

LEADING HOTELS OF THE WORLD - HAPPY GUEST AWARDS

PRESTIGIOUS STAR AWARDS – WORLD’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS VENUE

VILLEGIATURE AWARDS - GRAND PRIX OF THE BEST HOTEL IN AFRICA

HAUTE GRANDEUR AWARDS – BEST SPA DESTINATION, BEST HOTEL SPA IN MOROCCO

BEST LUXURY SPA IN MOROCCO, BEST DAY SPA IN MOROCCO

WORLD TRAVEL AWARD – MOROCCO’S LEADING LUXURY HOTEL VILLA, MOROCCO’S

LEADING HOTEL, MOROCCO’S LEADING RIAD HOTEL

SHORT GLOSSARY

MOUCHARABIEH – CARVED WOODEN LATTICEWORK SCREEN WITH GEOMETRIC MOTIFS

TADLAKT – LIME PLASTER MUCH USED IN MARRAKECH, WHICH GIVES WALLS AND SURFACES A SMOOTHSHINY APPEARANCE, AND IS WATERPROOF, SO CAN BE USED IN HAMMAMS OR ON EXTERIORS

TANGIA – A MEAT OR FISH DISH TRADITIONALLY COOKED IN A TERRACOTTA POT WITH A LID

VERJUS – A SORT OF VINEGAR MADE FROM UNRIPE GRAPES, OR SOMETIMES CITRUS FRUITTOMATO, SORREL, PARSLEY, ETC

ZELLIGE – ENAMELLED TERRACOTTA TILES WITH GEOMETRIC MOSAIC PATTERNS

PRESS CONTACT ─

KENZA ZIZI : KZIZI@ROYALMANSOUR.MA - PHONE : +212 (0) 6 46 11 95 20

GHITA EL FOUIRI : GELFOUIRI@ROYALMANSOUR.MA - TÉLÉPHONE : +212 (0) 600 02 01 49